Liquid container system

ABSTRACT

So as to apply to the refilled content of a bottle ( 1 ) a desired substance e.g. a tasting substance, mini-receptacles ( 9 ) are provided filled with a respective substance, which are broken open by external manipulation into the container ( 1 ).

The present invention departs from needs which have been recognized in context with beverage containers, especially beverage bottles, which may be refilled. Nevertheless, the following considerations are mutadis mutandis valid for containers other than for beverages. We refer to the yet unpublished PCT/EP2006/064708 of the same inventors as the present application.

Bottles for beverages with a removable sealing cap and which may be refilled are widely known and used, especially in sport activities. Thereby, the container—the bottle—is customarily made of a plastic material as from PET or of a metal as especially of aluminum or is possibly made of a compound material. Such beverage bottles have a sealing and removable cap which may be removed or opened so as to refill the container. Especially for the use in sport activities as for cycling, jogging etc., the cap is customarily provided with a drinking valve arrangement which prevents liquid from pouring out when the container with its cap is not in drinking use.

Such beverage containers are often refilled during the sport activities. E.g. when cycling, mountaineering, jogging etc. such containers are refilled underway, e.g. at fountains. Thereby, it would often be desirable to add to the refilled liquid, especially to water, a taste or another substance as e.g. substances to make an isotonic beverage. Nevertheless, once the container has been emptied and underway it is either not possible to refill such container with a desired liquid/substance mixture or it is necessary to interrupt the activity, as e.g. to stop cycling, for preparing the liquid/substance mixture.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a container system whereat the above need is practically resolved.

This is achieved by a liquid container system according to the present invention which comprises a container with a sealing cap to refill the container with a liquid and to dispatch liquid from the container. The system further comprises at least two, preferably more than two mini-receptacles provided at the cap and/or at the container. The mini-receptacles are respectively filled with a substance. Each or a predetermined number of the mini-receptacles may selectively be opened into the container by a man manipulation from the external of the container and/or cap. Thereby, the substance contained in the selected mini-receptacle is freed into the liquid.

Thus, whenever there is a need to add a substance from one of the mini-receptacles to the liquid within the container, the respective mini-receptacle is broken open and its substance is admixed to the liquid. Clearly, this allows to replace a consumed liquid/substance mixture of beverage with water, whereat, by opening a respective mini-receptacle, there is admixed the desired substance.

Thereby, in one embodiment of the present invention the addressed cap comprises a removable intermediate part which is removably mounted as by a screw-thread to the container on one hand and which is removably mounted as by another screw-thread to a top lid part which is refastenable so as to open and close the overall container system and which customarily comprises a drinking valve. The mini-receptacles are thereby provided on the intermediate part. Thereby, it becomes possible to apply the intermediate part, practically as an adaptor part, between a specifically tailored opening e.g. with a screw-thread of the container and, on the other hand, to a removable top lid part as to a commercially available, refastenable top lid part with a drinking valve. Thereby, the intermediate part may be flexibly tailored for the specific mini-receptacles to be applied to the container and top lid part.

In one embodiment the removable intermediate part has a substantially cylindrical wall with trough-openings. The mini-receptacles are integrated on a flexible carrier band which is provided around the cylindrical wall with the mini-receptacles registering with the through-openings. The mini-receptacles in one embodiment are conceived as blisters, so that an external pushing manipulation opens such blisters towards the interior of the container, through the addressed through-openings, the external wall of the blisters not being broken open and thus maintaining sealing separation of the interior of the container and its outer space.

Still in a further embodiment the addressed band is sealed on the wall. In one embodiment this is realized by inherent elasticity of the band being close loop in another by additional measures as by providing elastic sealing bands along the border of the band—close or open loop—and the wall, especially if the addressed band is applied, as a simple approach, to the external of the addressed wall of the intermediate part. The following embodiments are also to be considered:

Ia: There is provided a manipulator to selectively open the mini-receptacle into the container. IIa: The mini-receptacles are part of a magazine member, which is removably applied to the intermediate part of the addressed cap. IIIa: The mini-receptacles are integrated in the wall of the intermediate part. IVa: The mini-receptacles contain different substances. Va: The mini-receptacles contain foodstuff substances, thereby especially concentrated foodstuff substances. VIa: The mini-receptacles contain liquid or powderous substances. VIIa: The top lid part comprises a drinking valve. VIIIa: The mini-receptacles are opened towards and into the container by radial pressure and/or by axial pressure with respect to a longitudinal axis of the container system.

Under a further aspect and as a further embodiment the present invention is directed on a liquid container system which comprises a container with a sealing cap to refill the container with a liquid and to dispatch liquid from the container. The system further comprises at least two mini-receptacles filled with a substance, whereby a predetermined number of the mini-receptacles may selectively be opened into the container by a man manipulation from the external of the container and cap so as to have the substance of the mini-receptacle freed into the liquid. The mini-receptacles are integrated on a flexible carrier sheet. The carrier sheet forms a seal of the container.

In one embodiment of the present invention under this second aspect and embodiment the mini-receptacles are blisters. Thus, the blister carrier sheet forms the addressed seal and as customarily blisters are only opened by rupturing one of the blister walls, opening such blisters towards the interior of the container has no negative impact on the seal between the interior of the container and the exterior.

In one embodiment the carrier sheet as addressed resides along a shoulder of an opening of the container and is biased on this shoulder by a respective annular area of the cap. Thus, in fact the carrier sheet is clamped between the border shoulder of the opening of the container on one hand and a respective annular part of the cap which latter is e.g. screwed on the container, thereby establishing the addressed biasing.

Because the addressed carrier sheet must have an opening to allow in spite of its sealing action liquid to be dispatched from the container or to be refilled into the container, in a further embodiment the carrier sheet has a central opening with a rim defining for a rim area. The cap has a central hollow member, e.g. tube-like with an outer wall. The rim of the addressed central opening in the carrier sheet is sealingly biased between two shoulder portions along the addressed hollow member and radially projecting at the outer surface of the wall of the hollow member. Thus, in one embodiment, the addressed hollow member has a wall with cylindrical outer surface, an upper radially projecting shoulder thereon and, considered in direction towards the interior of the container, a screw-nut member which is screwed on the addressed member after the carrier sheet with its central opening having been introduced over the addressed hollow member and against upper shoulder. By the screwing action of the addressed nut member the central opening of the sheet-like member is sealingly biased towards and onto the radially projecting shoulder at the outer surface of the hollow member.

In a further embodiment the cap comprises a removable intermediate part which is removably mounted on one hand to the container and which is removably mounted on the other hand to a top lid part as was addressed under the first aspect of the present invention, whereby the mini-receptacles are applied on the intermediate part.

Clearly, the addressed embodiments may be provided in combination, also combined under both aspects of the invention.

Further, especially the following embodiments prevail for the invention under its second aspect:

Ib: There is provided a manipulator to selectively open the mini-receptacles into the container. IIb: The mini-receptacles contain different substances. IIIb: The mini-receptacles contain foodstuff substances especially contain concentrated foodstuff substances. IVb: The mini-receptacles contain liquid or powderous substances. Vb: The cap has a drinking valve.

The invention shall further be exemplified by the following detailed description of examples, explained with the help of figures.

FIG. 1 in a perspective view a first embodiment of the system according to the present invention, whereat mini-receptacles are magazine-applied to a bottle body;

FIG. 2 schematically a cross-sectional representation through a part of the embodiment of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 a part of the container's wall of a further embodiment of the system according to the present invention, whereat mini-receptacles are integrated into the container's wall;

FIG. 4 in a simplified and perspective view, a part of a further embodiment of the system according to the present invention, whereat mini-receptacles are applied in the cap area;

FIG. 5 schematically and simplified, a cross-sectional representation of the embodiment as of FIG. 4 with mini-receptacles integrated in the cap;

FIG. 6 in a representation in analogy to that of FIG. 5, an embodiment, wherein the mini-receptacles are carried by a separate exchangeable magazine;

FIG. 7 a simplified cross-sectional representation of a further embodiment of a container system according to the present invention, whereat the cup comprises the removable intermediate part between the container and a top lid part and the intermediate part comprises the mini-receptacles;

FIG. 8 in a simplified cross-sectional representation, a further embodiment of the container system according to the present invention, whereat a magazine sheet with the mini-receptacles forms a seal of the container.

FIG. 1 shows a beverage bottle system according to the present invention, whereat a magazine of mini-receptacles is applied to the container itself. The container 1 or bottle, which may be of plastic material, of a metal as of aluminum or of a compound material, may thereby be of a laminated material, has, as shown in FIG. 2, a number of openings 3 distributed along the wall 5 of the container. There is applied around the area of the container 1, whereat the openings 3 are provided, a magazine band 7 which has a number of mini-receptacle blisters 9, each sealingly closed and filled with a substance 11. The magazine band which may comprise e.g. thermically shrinkable or elastic plastic material is tightly applied to and around the external surface of the container 1 with the blisters 9 registering with the openings 3 in the wall 5 of the container 1.

By pressing with a finger upon the exterior wall 13 of a blister 9, the internal wall 15 which is freely exposed to the interior of container 1 once the magazine band is applied, is broken open, so that the substance 11 is dispatched into a liquid within container 1. The outer wall 13 is thereby not damaged by such pressurizing. Whereas the outer wall 13 may be made of rather elastic material, the inner wall 15 of the blisters and thus of magazine band 7 may be of a rather stiff material, e.g. of a metalized foil possibly with a weakened area to facilitate controlled breaking up upon pressurizing outer wall 13.

Whenever all the mini-receptacles or blisters 9 which are provided at a magazine band 7 are consumed, the band 7 may easily be cut e.g. with a knife as shown in dashed line in FIG. 1 at 17 and a replacement magazine band 7 may be applied and, for sealing closure, may e.g. be shrunk upon the container's external surface by applying moderate heat e.g. by a hair dryer.

As shown in FIG. 1, the beverage container 1 is closed with a removable cap 19, which is e.g. screwed upon the respective end of container 1 and which is provided with a drinking valve 21.

Departing from the embodiment of FIG. 1 it may be seen that in fact the magazine band 7 may be integrated into the container 1.

A part of the wall of such container with integrated mini-receptacles is shown in FIG. 3. Thereby the wall of container 1, a section thereof being shown, is formed by an inner layer 1 _(i). Blisters are integrated into the wall of the container 1 by providing thinner layer areas 23. The thinner layer areas 23 may have additionally weakened areas to facilitate breaking towards the interior of the container. The external surface of the container 1, especially in the area, where the blisters areas 23 are provided, is covered with a foil 1 _(a) which is more resistive to pressurizing than blister areas 23 of inner foil-like layer 1 _(i). The wall of the container 1 may be laminated from more than two foil-like members to realize the mini-receptacles integrated into such wall and allowing breaking open of such mini-receptacle towards and into the interior of the container, thereby maintaining the outer at least one foil according to la of FIG. 3 undamaged.

In FIG. 4 there is schematically shown a part of a beverage container according to the present invention, whereat the mini-receptacles are provided integral or as a removable magazine in the area of a cap 30 and whereat selectively one or more than one of these mini-receptacles may be opened towards and into the interior of the container by a manipulation at the cap. FIG. 5 schematically shows in a simplified manner a cross-section through cap 30, whereby the mini-receptacles are integral to the cap and the cap per se acts as a mini-receptacle magazine.

The cap 30 comprises a basis 32 which is mountable to the container 1 as by a screw mount, a bayonet mount, etc. To fill up the container 1 the cap 30 in the example shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 is removed.

Within the basis part 32 of the cap 30 there is mounted an annular member 34 comprising a multitude of mini-receptacles 36 which thus are arranged coaxial to axis A of container 1 along the inner side of the basis part 32. In the upper part of basis part 32 there is provided a coaxial guiding opening 38, wherein a manipulator part 40 is slideably guided. The manipulator part 40 may on one hand be linearly moved according to L, parallel to axis A of the cap 30 up and down and may, additionally, be rotated as shown with double-arrow R in FIGS. 4 and 5. At one or possibly more than one distinct area along the periphery of manipulator part 40 and pointing towards the annular member 34 carrying the mini-receptacles 36, there is provided a breaking-up-finger 42. Thus, by rotating the manipulator part 40 according to R in a specific selected position and then urging part 40 with finger 42 into and through a respective mini-receptacle 36 as shown in FIG. 5 in dashed lines, the mini-receptacle 36 is broken open and its content is admixed to the liquid in container 1. Homogeneous mixture is achieved by respective shaking of the container. As shown in FIG. 4 the positions of the receptacles 36 may be marked at the rim of basis part 32 as shown at 44.

Opening 38 is sealed nevertheless allowing the respective linear and rotational movement of manipulator part 40, which may e.g. be realized with respective O-ring seals between basic part 30 and manipulator part 40 (not shown). Further, a spring action member may be provided biasing the manipulator part 40 outwards with respect to the basis part 32.

As further shown in the FIGS. 4 and 5 there is mounted on the manipulator part 40 the customary drinking valve 46.

In FIG. 6 there is shown in a representation in analogy to that of FIG. 5 a part of the cap 30 for removably and exchangeably receiving a ring magazine 34 with mini-receptacles 36′.

As may be seen such a magazine 34′ is residing on a ring-shoulder 48 at the basic part 32 and is removeably squeezed between the top end of container 1 and such shoulder 48. Thus, when removing cap 30 the magazine 34′ with the mini-receptacle 36′ may be removed.

The embodiments which have been exemplified open a large range of constructional possibilities for the skilled artisan.

The substances which are contained in the receptacles may be equal for all mini-receptacles or may be different. The mini-receptacles for beverage appliances contain concentrated isotonic substances, taste substances, etc. In some applications a desired mixture, be it for drinking or for other purposes, may be realized by opening more than one of the mini-receptacles towards and into the interior of the container and admixing their content to the basic liquid content in container. The principal of the present invention, according to which there is provided at a container at least two, preferably a multitude of mini-receptacles, the content thereof being easily and selectably admixable to the content of the container, may be applied to other appliances than to beverage preparation.

In FIG. 7 there is shown schematically and simplified a cross-section through a part of a further embodiment of the container system as of the present invention. Thereby, a cap 50 comprises a schematically shown top lid part 52 with a drinking valve 54. The top lid part 52 is removably and sealingly mounted as e.g. by screwing or e.g. by a bayonet lock to an intermediate part 56 of the cap 50 and the intermediate part 56 is removably mounted as e.g. screwed or by a bayonet lock on the border of opening 58 of the container 60. The mini-receptacle 62 are provided on the intermediate part 56. The intermediate part 56 being removably mounted on one hand to the top lid part 52 and on the other hand to the opening 58 of container 60 acts as an adaptor part between the container opening and the top lid part 52, which both are customarily available. Thus, for applying the present invention, rather complex customary top lid parts 52 may be used in combination with any available customary container or bottle 60, e.g. with different screw-threads at their opening.

In the embodiment according to FIG. 7 the intermediate part 56 comprises a substantially cylindrical outer surface 64 with two or more than two through-openings 66. The mini-receptacles 62 are integrated on a sheet-like carrier band 68 as blisters. Thus, the band 68 with the mini-receptacles 62 form a “blister band”. The blister band 62/68 is applied along the external surface 64 with the blisters 62, as mini-receptacles, registering with the through-openings 66 in the wall of the intermediate part 56. As was addressed in context with FIG. 1 the blister band may be close loop and elastic so as to provide an efficient seal with respect to the surface 64. Alternatively, the band 68 may be made at least in part of thermically shrinkable material to provide such seal by e.g. hot air heating. Another possibility is e.g. to provide the blister band 62/68 open-loop and to provide along the rim portions 70 of the blister band as shown in dashed line at 72 rubber-like close loop elastic sealing bands biasing towards the addressed blister band and surface 64 of the intermediate part 56. As shown in FIG. 7 the top lid part 52 is screwed by thread 74 on the intermediate part 56 which latter is screwed by means of thread 76 to the opening of container 60. Clearly, instead of screw-threads bayonet locks or other known interlocking techniques may be applied.

In the embodiment as schematically and simplified shown in FIG. 8 the mini-receptacles 80 are integrated on a sheet-like carrier 82 having a central opening 84. Thus, the mini-receptacles are provided on a “blister sheet”, as an example, having the addressed opening 84. The blister sheet 80/82 resides with its outer peripheral rim 86 on the customarily annular shoulder 88 of the opening of container 90. A cap or an intermediate part of a cap as was described, 92, has a shoulder portion 94 which biases the rim portion 86 of the blister carrier 82 sealingly towards and onto shoulder 88 of the opening of container 90, as the cup or intermediate part 92 is mounted onto the opening of container 90. According to the embodiment of FIG. 8 this is done by means of a screw-thread mount 95 between the opening portion of container 90 and the cup or intermediate part 92.

The cup or intermediate part 92 comprises further, e.g. rigidly mounted thereon and e.g. formed integrally therewith, a central hollow member 96 which has a central open passage 98 closable by the (not shown) action of the cup, e.g. by the drinking valve. According to the embodiment of FIG. 8 the rim area of the central opening 84 in the blister carrier or more generically the sheet-like carrier of mini-receptacles, is sealingly held on the hollow member 96. According to the embodiment shown, the hollow member 96 has an outer cylindrical wall with a radially projecting rim shoulder part 98 e.g. rigidly mounted thereon. At the lower end there is provided in the cylindrical outer surface of the hollow member 96 a thread which allows a biasing screw nut member 100 which is shown in FIG. 8 in uncut representation to be screwed towards shoulder part 98 of member 96.

Thus, mounting the blister sheet 80/82 is performed by first introducing the carrier 82 by its central opening 84 onto the hollow member 96 and sealingly biasing the rim of opening 84 by applying and tightening the screw-nut member 100 towards the projecting shoulder part 98 of hollow member 96. Then the cap or the intermediate part 92 is applied to the opening of container 90 and by screwing action the outer peripheral portion of blister carrier 82 is sealingly biased between the cap or intermediate part 92 and the shoulder around the opening of container 90. Thereby, there is established by the blister carrier a seal between the interior I and the exterior II of the container with the exception of the opening through space 102 which is sealingly closed or opened by action of the cap as by a drinking valve.

The blisters 80 are pressurized downwards to release their substance into the container, whereby only the wall exposed to the inner of the container will break open. Thus, the addressed seal is not affected by releasing substances from the blisters 80 into the container 90.

In dependency of the construction of the cup or of the intermediate part 92 loading the blisters to release their substance into the container is performed directly by manual action on the blisters or there is provided a manipulator which transmits selectively a manual action onto the respective blisters. 

1. A liquid container system comprising a container with a sealing cap to refill said container with a liquid or to remove liquid from said container, at least two mini-receptacles filled with a substance at said cap, whereby a predetermined number of said mini-receptacles may selectively be opened into said container by a man manipulation from the external of said container and cap so as to have its substance freed into said liquid and wherein said cap comprises a removable intermediate part removably mounted to said container and removably mounted to a top lid part, said mini-receptacles being provided on said intermediate part.
 2. The liquid container system of claim 1, wherein said removable intermediate part has a substantially cylindrical wall with through-openings and said mini-receptacles are integrated on a flexible carrier band being wound along said cylindrical wall with said receptacles registering with said through-openings.
 3. The liquid container of claim 2, wherein said band is sealed towards said wall.
 4. A liquid container system comprising a container with a sealing cap to refill said container with a liquid and to remove liquid from said container, at least two mini-receptacles filled with a substance, whereby a predetermined number of said mini-receptacles may selectively be opened into said container by a man manipulation from the external of said container and cap so as to have its substance freed into said liquid and wherein said mini-receptacles are integrated on a flexible carrier sheet and said carrier sheet forms a seal between the interior of said container and an exterior space of said container.
 5. The liquid container system of claim 4, wherein said mini-receptacles are blisters.
 6. The liquid container of one of claim 4, wherein said carrier sheet resides along a shoulder of an opening of said container and is biased by an annular area of said cap onto said shoulder.
 7. The liquid container system of claim 6, wherein said carrier sheet has a central opening with a rim portion, said cap has a central hollow member and said rim of said central opening in said carrier sheet is sealingly biased between two shoulder portions along said hollow member.
 8. The liquid container system of claim 4, wherein said cap comprises a removable intermediate part removably mounted to said container and removably mounted to a top lid part and wherein said mini-receptacles are provided on said intermediate part. 